Exam Practice: Answersresources.hoddereducation.co.uk/files/he/Citizenship/MRN...Exam Practice:...

My Revision Notes: AQA GCSE (9–1) Citizenship Studies © Hodder Education 2018

Exam Practice: Answers Below are the questions and answers to all the Exam Practice questions that appear in this book. Please note that some questions may have more than one possible answer. Remember to go online and read the material about the nature of the examination and the structure of the questions and question papers: www.hoddereducation.co.uk/myrevisionnotes Paper 1 Section A: Active citizenship 4 1. The source relates to the fire at Grenfell Tower in London in 2017 when 86 people perished. This fire caused a great deal of local as well as national controversy. Local people wanted answers to many questions that arose from the fire. The community felt a great deal of grief and concern about what had happened. A local action group would want to know what the cause of the fire was, why the fire killed so many and who should be held to account for what happened. In view of the scale and impact of the disaster a local group would wish that their questions be investigated and that a public inquiry be held so that the public and the media can know about the disaster. The group would also want to achieve short-term and long-term redress for those affected by the fire, those made homeless, needing accommodation and those needing financial and medical support. They would look to local and national government to provide this support as Grenfell Tower was made up of social housing. In any disaster of this nature the local community deserve answers to their questions. Other examples of such local groups are those opposed to a third runway at Heathrow Airport or local residents in Sheffield who felt the council should not be cutting down trees. In all these cases local people are campaigning against what they see as an injustice or are wishing to promote a cause. A local campaign such as that associated with Grenfell Tower is using peaceful democratic means to seek answers. Page 19 1. Groups such as Citizens Advice seek to both campaign on national issues and aim to bring about changes, as well as offering individual citizens locally based access to free advice and legal support. In order for Citizens Advice to have the confidence of people who have concerns and issues, often relating to the actions of local and central government, it is important that they do not appear to be yet another branch of government. This is partly why Citizens Advice often have projects funded by local and central government as the government knows that they can often promote educational programmes or speak to specific groups far more easily than any government body. If people believed they were just another branch of the government, they might become reluctant to discuss what are often personal issues. The clients of Citizens Advice often are those who feel less empowered in society and do not have access or the understanding to resolve many of their personal issues themselves, so the feeling that they have a neutral expert on their side encourages citizens to access the services of Citizens Advice. Page 24 1. The term ‘lay magistrates’ refers to ordinary citizens who volunteer to preside over mainly criminal cases in a magistrate’s court. Over many centuries this has been seen as an important aspect of our legal system, providing a local context for justice and a system whereby judicial decision about members of a local community are made by other members of that community. Most people without criminal convictions are able to apply to become magistrates. Some people, due to the work they do, for example police officers i.e. working for the Crown, are not able to become magistrates. A person who becomes a magistrate receives legal training but does not receive payment; they are able to claim expenses and loss of income. Magistrates sit as a bench of three members so do not make decisions alone; they also rely on the court officials for formal legal advice. All cases are heard initially by magistrates and serious cases are automatically referred to the Crown Court as magistrates have limited sentencing powers. They can also sit alongside a


District Judge (a full-time judge) and take part in the decision process. In any legal system citizens must have respect for its decisions and confidence in its workings. The system of lay magistrates and the use of juries made up of ordinary citizens in crown courts to make decisions is a way of ensuring that the public have confidence in the justice system. Paper 1 Section A: About your Investigation The responses regarding questions about the Investigation will map out possible structures to an answer rather than word-for-word responses. Answers to questions about your Investigation must relate to the Investigation you have undertaken, so you must include clear references to the actual work you have done. The questions asked, therefore, have to be worded in such a way as to allow for the wide range of Investigations that students have undertaken. Remember you are asked to outline briefly the nature of your Investigation in the exam paper: this is to allow the examiner a context when reading your responses. 5 1. This question asks you for the benefits of the route you chose. For two marks a couple of developed points should be sufficient. Points that might relate to working alone – ability to get on with the task, decision making is easy, and one is in total control. Points that might relate to working in a group – a range of skills, ability to cover more work, benefits from everybody’s ideas, you can specialise and work on tasks that interest you. 2. You must clearly identify a skill that relates to the task you have undertaken. Be careful to ensure that the skills you mention are not just generic skills that could relate to any task e.g. teamwork. Specific citizenship skills relate to planning an action, advocacy or representation of views and skills related to taking action. The question states ‘skills’ so for 4 marks mention at least 2. 3. Again your answer must relate to the Investigation you undertook. The question states ‘reasons’ so for 6 marks try to write about 2 or 3 reasons. Examples may include interest in the topic; personal experience; motivated by classwork; something in the news locally, nationally or internationally; a topic you wished to investigate further; or a change or action you wanted to take. 4. This is a 12-mark question: the highest marks for any question on either examination paper, so making some notes or designing a plan to your response may be helpful. The question posed fits into four clear elements: for and against working alone, and for and against working in a group. While you can write about reasons for each of these four areas don’t forget to include comments about why your Investigation took the route it did.

Points for working alone Total control over the work Decision making is easier Work at your own speed Planning is simplified

Points against working alone Problems of work overload Lack of others’ ideas Might not have the full range of skills for all the tasks No one to consult to keep you focussed on the task

Points for working in a group Shared ideas Range of skills and talents Ability to undertake more tasks Group ethos to get things done

Points against working in a group People may not work well together Need for leadership skills Problems of getting everyone to keep to schedule Can be difficult making and agreeing decisions

Page 26: Stage 1 1. As this is a 2-mark question, you need to provide two basic points or one that is developed. Initial ideas about what to investigate: ensure this is an issue or question not the action that needed to be taken. For example, following a class debate/internet research/a lesson/debate at home etc. – the question looks for you to mention doing some research and then indicate whether the results of your research forced you to alter the


nature of your Investigation. For example, you might have narrowed the focus of the Investigation to be able to do something within the time scale. 2. Again, you need to start by stating which Investigation you undertook. The response is looking for at least two points about why you chose your topic; these could include personal/family/school/community interest. A national or local event, classwork, TV news or research on the internet. Ensure there is a clear link between your Investigation and the answer you give. 3. This is a generic question but as a final point it may be helpful if you refer to your Investigation.

Local Issue A local issue enables you to access a lot of local primary resources. When planning your action, it may be easier to assess its impact

National Issue Easier to get data form a range of sources. Can link into national bodies for information and support. Taking action may gain more local involvement as people may be aware of the issues

Global Issue Everybody can see the importance of the issue. Resources may be easily available Any action may be more easily supported because of the nature of the issue.

4. This question is seeking to ensure that you understand the citizenship aspect of the Investigation that you undertook. You will not be required to quote chapter and verse from the actual specification document. You just need to know where you can locate the Investigation you undertook within the subject content. Examples of Investigations and where they are located within the specification:

Investigation Specification link Reducing the voting age to 16 Politics and participation/Rights at different ages Changing the school uniform policy Rights and responsibilities and forms of taking

action Improving local leisure facilities Politics and participation, local government and

forms of taking action In what ways is the UK a multicultural society? Life in modern Britain/identity, and rights and

responsibilities Should the death penalty be re-introduced? Rights and responsibilities

After identifying the link to the specification, the response should develop the link by discussing the nature of the research and action taken indicating how throughout the investigation your work linked to the specification. Page 26: Stage 2 1. Remember to link your answer to your own Investigation, ‘some’ means more than one example. Primary research is about gathering data yourself not using other data or material you researched. You might mention: questionnaires undertaken, interviews, collecting data relating to your Investigation. 2. Again, remember your answer must be linked to your own Investigation. For 4 marks you are looking for developed points.

Advantages of primary research Linked more closely to the task You select the methods used to collect data You control the methods you use You control the sample size and composition Secondary research might cover too large an area of the topic Secondary data may be out of date

3. This style of question is directly linked to your own work. You need to consider the evidence you gathered at the research stage and place it in some order of importance. For each you need to give a reason why the evidence was helpful/informative. 4. You might have first decided a topic/issue you wished to investigate rather than a detailed question. For this question you need to discuss the research you undertook and explain how it helped you form or revise the issue or question you started to investigate. If you worked as a group, you should mention research other members of the group undertook.


Page 27: Stage 3 1. All that is required is a statement about the action you undertook and a reason as to why you choose that action. The action must relate to the Investigation information you have given on the examination paper. 2. For this response you need to break down the action you undertook into stages/elements. For example, what were you trying to achieve; what actual action took place; gathering of evidence to know if your action was successful. 3. This question is asking you to write about the action you undertook and to state why you decided upon this course of action rather than another. You need to explain the benefits of the action you took as against any issues/problems of taking a different form of action. 4. Again, this question focuses upon the actual action that you took. You need to be able to explain how your action was a form of active citizenship. It is helpful if early in your response you define what you understand by the term ‘Active Citizenship’: where a citizen either alone or with others using democratic means attempts to make a difference in society. This may mean bringing about a change or maintaining the status quo. The difference being sought may be at a local, national or international level. An active citizen is someone who is informed about an issue, has the skills necessary to advocate or represent others and uses these skills to bring about change which may involve volunteering, campaigning or joining with others in a group to bring about change. Your action would have a context (local, etc.): for example an issue about young people and political involvement would have involved you and others trying to bring about a change by petitioning, holding a debate, questioning people in power, promoting a cause or gathering support. Page 27: Stage 4 1. This question is asking you what were you seeking to achieve by your action. Was it a clear change e.g. changing the school uniform policy; raising awareness of an issue; leading a debate on animal rights; gathering support for an issue; inviting people to sign a Greenpeace petition. 2. This question is attempting to get you to explain how you would know whether your action was successful or not. Using the examples above: school uniform: arranging a meeting with the head teacher; raising awareness: others would follow-up on your work; the debate on animal rights: having a clear vote in favour of increased animal rights in the UK; inviting people to sign a petition: number of people supporting your petition. The question states targets so you should mention two, for example, getting people to sign a petition then aiming to get 200 people to sign the petition. 3. This question asks you to identify the range of evidence/data you gathered to help show that your action was successful. Using the above examples again: the meeting with the headteacher and what was said at that meeting; the number of people who attended your debates and took part; the support in any votes that took place; any decisions to follow through and provide further support for the issues being debated. For any evidence you mention you need to indicate how useful it was. Two hundred people signing or agreeing or attending an event as against 20 indicates a degree of success. The ability to arrange a meeting with the headteacher and discuss the issue indicates a degree of success. 4. For this question you need to clearly identify what your aims were for your action: ‘aims’ implies more than one. For example, in a debate it might be the size of audience and the number willing to sign a petition about the issue. If you achieved your aims, could they have been extended or if you didn’t achieve your aims were you trying to achieve too much. This style of question allows you to write about the action you took, but it must be in relation to your aims, which must be outlined at the start of your answer. Page 28: Stage 5 1. One example required. It could be oral feedback, a questionnaire or related to a specific target such as people attending or signing a petition. 2. This style of question allows you to write about your action. Everything might have been brilliant; the whole thing could have been a disaster; or something went well and other things did not. There is no correct answer, just ensure your response links to your Investigation. 3. This a very open-ended question as there is no right or wrong answer, what is being sought is your ability to think of other ways you might have gathered evidence about the action. For example, filming, one-to-one interviews, questionnaire afterwards, show of hands or vote at the end of the action. You might have talked with participants if your task involved work in the community.


4. ‘Made a difference’ is a citizenship phrase related to active citizenship. While one doesn’t always succeed when undertaking an action one has tried to make that difference. This question is asking you in relation to your action: did it make a difference? It might have made a difference to you and your group giving you new skills. It might have helped others become informed and wish to become active citizens. It might have raised awareness of the issue that concerned you. Those in authority may now be more aware of the issues that concerned you. If your action involved directly helping others, it may have made an impact on their lives e.g. an environmental clean-up or raising money for a local or national charity. Page 28: Stage 6 5. Even if you thought everything went brilliantly, there must be one part that was less brilliant than the rest. Remember that there are the stages, the elements of the Investigation are: Research, Planning the action, Taking the action, and Evaluation of the process. You can write about any part of the whole exercise. One example is required and a reason why it was the least successful. 6. This question allows you to consider any aspect of the Investigation and decide how you would do it differently. In order to explain the difference you need to outline how this part was actually undertaken in your Investigation. 7. This question asks you to reflect upon a part of the Investigation you believe was successful. You need to state why you believe it was successful. 8. You need for this question to identify a number of citizenship skills that were involved in your Investigation such as: advocacy, representation, research skills, working with others to achieve a citizenship goal, ability to present a point of view, presentational skills promoting your issues, practical IT skills used to promote your issue. The question states a range so at least three should be mentioned. You need to link them clearly to your Investigation. By developing your skills this can mean either developing a new skill and becoming more proficient with an existing skill. Paper 1 Section B: Politics and participation Page 36 1. The role of a UK Prime Minister differs in many ways from that of the President of the USA. A UK PM is head of the government, not the head of state. That is the role of the monarch. The monarch, not the Prime Minister, is technically head of the armed forces. The PM in the UK is an appointed post by the monarch not an elected post as in the USA. There is no additional age requirement regarding being the PM in the UK beyond that of being 18 or over to be an MP. 2. The UK currently has what is called an unwritten or uncodified constitution. That means that there is no single document or law called the British Constitution. It is made up of many laws, conventions and court rulings made and changed over centuries. Many people and organisations have called for a formal written constitution, which operates in many countries across the world such as France, the USA and Germany. The case for a formal written constitution is that by having a fixed document it cannot be easily changed so people’s rights are safeguarded and citizens of the UK would have certainty about their rights. A formal document with built-in legal security of human, legal and political rights prevents politicians from changing laws that can undermine citizens’ constitutional rights. Those who oppose changing the current arrangements state that the way constitutional issues have been dealt with over the past few hundred years has not undermined citizens’ rights but has enhanced them. The ability to alter or amend citizens’ rights in a piecemeal fashion has made the current system very flexible and adaptable while most countries with formal written constitutions have found it cumbersome to alter them or are forced to rewrite the whole constitution again whenever there is a minor issue to change. Under existing constitutional arrangements, Parliament and the courts have the power to hold the government to account, especially since the introduction of the Supreme Court. The 2017 case about the need for Parliament to approve a motion to agree the triggering of Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty is an example. 3. In some countries such as the USA some judges are directly elected and stand for office using a party-political label.


In the UK it is an important constitutional arrangement that members of the judiciary (judges) are not political, are in office for life, and are now appointed after interview based upon their merit. In recent years the way judges are appointed has changed in the UK to make it more open and transparent using a formal interview process. Judges are not supposed to have any political links and are supposed to uphold the law as it is written and not provide any sort of political commentary. The advantages of an independent judiciary are that citizens can than have faith in the judicial process and that it treats everyone equally. By being appointed for life and making it very difficult to sack a judge, they are free from pressure from politicians. If judges were political appointments people bringing cases would try to get a judge more sympathetic to their views. When the government changed there would be pressure to change all the judges to make them supportive of the new government. People often criticise the judiciary in the UK as fitting a certain stereotype but their political views never form a part of that stereotype. An advantage of directly elected and party labelled judges is that the people get the justice they have voted for, they can also remove those judges they disagree with, so the judiciary becomes more accountable. In the UK it is commonly held that judges should be impartial and separate from the political process to ensure the impartiality of the justice system so that all citizens can trust and have faith in the justice system. Page 49 1. There are a number of reasons why more people vote in some elections rather than others. The highest turnout recently was for the 2016 European Referendum where people knew that every vote counted, while in many other elections there are many safe seats for one party or another so your vote may not appear to make a difference. Some elections such as local and crime commissioner elections get very little publicity and some people do not bother to vote. 2. All political parties state that the NHS needs more funds each year. As well as its basic costs rising in line with inflation, other aspects of NHS provision means that each year the NHS needs an above-inflation increase in its spending to maintain and keep its services up to date. Increasingly the NHS can treat more complex illnesses but often the cost of new treatments is high. As the population becomes older, more people are living longer but they also have illnesses that need treatment. In the UK we have the NHS which is based upon the principle that is it free for all at the point of delivery unlike other systems in the world which are either insurance-based or charge for their services. The NHS has always been funded from general taxation. Many are saying that there should be a special NHS tax paid by everybody that is set every five years by an independent review body, taking the issue of NHS funding out of day-to-day politics. If we are to continue to have a world-class service where there is ever-increasing demand, there is a need to increase NHS spending. Therefore taxes need to be increased so the service remains free for all citizens. The overall case for a special NHS tax has been clearly made by independent experts: the only question to resolve is how is the money raised. 3. In the UK, several different voting systems are used for different elections. Some of the systems are based upon proportional representation (PR), which overcomes the problem raised in the question. The system used in general elections and most local elections, First Past the Post (FPTP), does lead to many people feeling that their votes are wasted as it is based upon the principle that the person who gets most votes in a constituency wins, and the party does not need a majority nationally to win. This system has been used for many years in the UK. The Single Transferrable Vote (STV) system, which is a proportional voting system, has been used since the 1970s in Northern Ireland to elect MEPs. Other election systems such as Alternative Member and the Supplementary Vote systems give people two votes and then transfer votes until someone has over 50 per cent of the vote, or have two categories of elected member. While using a pure PR system such as STV would allow everybody’s vote to count there are also drawbacks, for example you have to elect a number of people at the same time so that means that the idea of a single member for a small area would disappear. Others think that just changing the voting system may be more likely to increase voter turnout, for example: compulsory voting such as in Australia, allowing voting to take place over several days, having all postal vote elections, or allowing internet voting. Some people campaign to lower the voting age to 16 and that might increase voter turnout. In Parliament they have considered the idea of recall ballots where the public can call a new election if they are dissatisfied with their MP; this may encourage interest in the political process and voting.


Page 63 1. Under a proportional voting system, the number elected relates directly to the percentage of votes cast. In UK general elections we still use the First Past the Post System which is not proportional. In 2017 the Conservatives won most seats and made an arrangement with the DUP to support them, so they had a majority in Parliament. Under a PR system the Labour Party could have made arrangements with the Liberal Democrats and the SNP and formed a majority government as together they got over 50 per cent of the votes cast. Labour could also have worked with the Liberal Democrats, the Greens and UKIP to form a majority. The Conservatives could have formed a majority with the Liberal Democrats or any other party. 2. The three major national parties contesting the UK 2017 General Election were the Conservatives, the Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats. Two other parties also contested a number of seats the Green and UKIP. At each General Election parties publish manifestos, which tell voters the policies they would introduce if they were to win the election. The three major parties in the UK are each based upon a different political ideology, which indicates what they believe the relationship should be between the citizen and the state. Conservatives are associated with Conservatism, the Labour Party with Socialism and the Liberal Democrats with Liberalism. These ideologies influence the policies they put forward. Government today covers a vast range of different policy areas, the main policy areas can be grouped into defence, foreign affairs and security, economic ,and social and welfare. With regard to policy issues, the Conservatives believe in lower taxes and public spending; they are willing to spend 2 per cent of GDP on defence. They are the party with the highest number of MPs supporting Brexit. They favour the private sector over the public sector and wish to get more private investment into state services. The Labour Party who campaigned on the theme ‘For the many not the few’ wanted to see more state spending and direction of the economy. They wanted to bring the railways and other former state owned business back under public control. They would increase taxes on businesses to give, for example, more money to the NHS. The Liberal Democrats are the most pro-European party in Parliament and campaigned for a second referendum about the terms for Brexit and favoured a one penny increase in income tax to give to the NHS and for social care. 3. It is helpful in the context of this question to answer based upon an example or examples of government policies you may wish to change. This indicates that you have an understanding of the role of central government in the UK. Pressure groups are groups of citizens who share the same views about an issue and wish to promote their views. These groups can be local, national or international as can the issues they are concerned about. For example, Greenpeace is an international group that campaigns about environmental issues while Jamie Oliver’s campaign about school meals was about taking action in the UK. Often pressure groups need to change government policy, laws or regulations to achieve their aims and can only do so by getting the government to implement their ideas. A back-bench MP is an elected Member of Parliament who is not an appointed member of the government. They have to ability to question ministers, serve on committees and seek to promote Private Members’ Bills. They ultimately have the power to support or vote against proposals for new laws or changes to existing laws. Pressure Groups work in many different ways. Some are labelled as insider groups and are often consulted by and work with government so are able to influence government about new laws from ‘inside’. Other groups have to create public pressure for change to be able to place their ideas on a government’s agenda. These types of groups will seek to promote their ideas through publicity, petitions, mass meetings and demonstrations, and seek media support for their cause. In this way MPs become influenced by the pressure applied to them by their constituents concerned about the issue. Also, a major factor in whether either an MP or a Pressure Group succeeds can also be the nature of the cause they are promoting. If it does not appeal to the public or achieve media coverage or support, it can be very difficult to promote on to the government’s agenda. So, for example if I wished to promote animal rights, insider groups such as the RSPCA would be supportive and also outsider groups such as the League Against Cruel Sports. As this is an emotive issue MPs would come under pressure from their constituents. In order to successfully achieve a change in the law, both elements – pressure groups and MPs – need to work together to achieve the desired outcome if it requires a change in government policy.


Page 67 1. In the European Parliament, members sit in political groups in a semi-circle. In the UK Parliament, the government sits on one set of benches and the opposition parties sit opposite, facing the government. In the European Parliament the party groupings are transnational, each being made up of MEPs from several member countries. Each grouping includes MEPs from different national parties. In the UK there are single party groups who fight under a single label, e.g. Conservative or Labour. 2. The political system in the UK claims to be one of the oldest democracies in the world and many countries have modelled their parliamentary systems upon it. But in order to answer this question one must decide which criteria determine whether a country is a fully functioning democracy. It is clear that the UK meets the test of being a democracy: there are competing parties, regular and open elections, the judiciary is fully independent of government, there is a free press and media, people are free to protest and join groups. People have freedom of assembly and worship, and the military and the police are not political and do not interfere with the elected government. People have access to the courts to hold the government to account and a government can be forced out of office by a parliamentary vote. Most people can stand for election and all people above the age of 18 can vote in general elections. The areas where some may challenge the fully functioning element of the question may be in regard to voting and turnout, where for many elections very few bother to vote. Some people call for compulsory voting, but a democracy is about choice, so the choice not to vote is a democratic choice while compulsion can be seen as undemocratic. Also, the use of the first past the post voting system can lead to many being elected on minority votes or government being formed by a party that got fewer votes than another party. Surely a democracy is about the will of the majority. Having a voting age of 18 instead of 16 as many people wish, could also undermine the case for being a fully functioning democracy. 3. One of the key elements within a democracy is the operation of a ‘free press’. While this traditionally relates to newspapers and magazines this concept now relates to all means of media communication. It is about the ability of people to express a range of opinions, to be able to question the workings of government and to do so without the threat of legal action. The state does clearly lay down boundaries for what is lawful and unlawful regarding the media, for instance the media cannot tell untruths about someone or report matters that a court states should be withheld, without the law or individuals taking legal action against them. Within a democratic society there has to be a balance between the rights and responsibilities of the media. Without a ‘free press’ those in power in society at all levels and sectors, from business to local government to parliament would be far less accountable for their actions. Also, a free press and media make a positive contribution to the political life of the UK and the political system needs and uses the media to promote its own actions and ideas. The media are still very influential in forming political attitudes and many people support a particular political party at elections due to what has been reported in the media. Paper 2 Section A: Life in modern Britain Page 71 1. The chart shows that 10 per cent of the population owns the majority of the wealth in the UK while under 50 per cent of the wealth is owned by the remaining 90 per cent of the population. The 1 per cent group of the wealthiest people through their wealth would identify with the ability to make choices about their lifestyle, involving educational choice, employment choice, and health provision as well as the ability to travel around the world. The next 9 per cent would have a similar outlook and ability to control their lives as the wealthiest 1 per cent: likely to have an identity that makes them citizens of the world through their ability to move more easily through educational and social contact. The remaining 90 per cent with limited means would have to use services provided by the state and could aspire to the top two groups only through their own ability. They would identify with state provision and require the support of the state and its services. 2. The four fundamental values associated with living in the UK are: democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance. Each of these values are essential to a democratic society wishing to live under the rule of law. In order to demonstrate that a society is democratic and lives under the rule of law it must also show that the liberty of the individual is important and that there is respect and tolerance for all in


society. These values, which are associated with Britain, are linked to the Universal Declaration of Human Right and the European Convention of Human Rights, both of which the UK helped to draft. The ability of the people to choose their own government and to change their government through a fair and open electoral system is the key element of a democracy. But government itself must not become too powerful and must as its citizens are, be subject to the rule of law, which must be equally applied to all citizens, groups and bodies. Individual freedom and respect for others is another hallmark of a free and open society. Like any jigsaw it is only when all the pieces are slotted together that the whole picture emerges. If there were no democracy the people would have no control over how they are governed. If there was no rule of law the powerful in society could never be held to account and life would be lawless. If there was no individual liberty the way a citizen lives and thinks would be totally controlled by the state. If there was no mutual respect and tolerance every minority group or opinion could be under threat. 3. Traditionally ‘the media’ referred to the press, radio and television. In the last twenty years the increased use of the internet has given rise to ‘social media’. So, both these elements must now be considered when discussing the influence of the media regarding individual identity. The term ‘identity’ can relate to the individual, a group identity or a national identity. It can be said that the media is one factor among many that help to create one’s identity. In your early years your identity is linked to your family, friends and education. As you grow older and belong to groups of your choice they help to foster your identity, from supporting a football team to a political party. The choice of media you interact with and the extent of that interaction determines its impact upon your identity. People tend to read, look at and consume media that they feel comfortable with and supports their line of thinking. So, the media can act as a reinforcement of your identity. One person is unlikely to both read the Daily Mail and the Morning Star as their daily newspapers. The power of the media is often in setting an agenda that is then re-enforced through other media outlets. For example, a newspaper story is reported on the radio and television and then is subject to comment on social media. It can be said that the power of the traditional media is declining as especially young people consume their news online and from a variety of sources. The media are very good at emphasising trends, for example, in aspects of social life and morals. The media is increasingly a 24 hours a day, 365 days a year industry constantly changing and reformatting, so one can claim that the power of the media relating to the individual rather than society as a whole is limited and declining. Page 80 1. The table indicates that in different parts of the UK there are differing population patterns in regard to short- and longer-term immigration into the area. The concept of multiculturalism relates to the idea that people from different culture backgrounds should be able to live side by side but also be able to live and celebrate their cultural differences. Therefore, in an area such as Brent, which has a white British population of 18 per cent against a UK average of 80 per cent, there would be a clear understanding of the need for cultural understanding as the community is very diverse. In Redcar where the white British population is 97.6 per cent the population mix is very limited so there may be less awareness of the issues of multiculturalism. 2. Multiculturalism is a policy that relates to the integration of differing groups into British society and is used mainly in regard to immigrant populations that have come to the UK since the end of the second world war. Initially immigrants to the UK came from countries within the Commonwealth and tended to live together in settled communities relating to where they were employed e.g. the cotton factories. The policy means that all communities should be able to live side by side, accepting British values but at the same time allowed to maintain their own cultural identity. The original belief was that, as many of these people had grown up in countries that had connections to the UK, this dual approach would allow for integration and for individual identity, and for cultural identity to be retained. Since 1945 other waves of immigration have taken place especially since the UK joined the EEC now EU. in his speech David Cameron stated that multiculturalism had failed because cultural identity was still seen by many people as more important than immersion in British society and values. With immigrant communities developing, a separation was taking place within British society. For him this failure has been highlighted by the growth of terrorism within the UK and also by UK citizens going abroad to support terrorist groups. These groups do not support British values or multiculturalism. 3. National identity is one aspect of a person’s total identity; different people give a different weight to its overall importance. The concept of national identity can vary within a country. Some people would claim a British identity, while others see themselves firstly as Welsh, Scottish, Irish or English. Regions of the UK also claim an individual identity, for example Cornwall. Politically since 1997 there has been a growth in devolution,


transferring power from the centre to the locality. Scotland now has a Parliament, Wales and Northern Ireland have elected assemblies and even Cornwall has a unitary authority with some powers over the health service. It is mainly at sporting events that tribalism manifests itself be it at football or rugby, while at the Olympics the team comes from the whole of the UK. One of the issues within the devolution debate is how distinct each country of the UK is from the others. When Scotland had the chance to vote for independence from the UK, the Scottish people voted against it and so remain a part of the UK. In both Scotland and Wales there are political links between national identity and independence through pro-nationalist, pro-independence political parties. The mixture of populations within the parts of the UK seems to ensure that the UK will remain a united country. In Northern Ireland there has already been a split between those who wish to form a united Ireland and those who wish to remain within the UK. In the past this has led to violence and almost civil war. This is likely to become an issue again as the UK leaves the European Union and could again lead to violence by one side or the other or both. Page 86 1. An important concept in the United Kingdom is that of a ‘free press’ whereby the media are free from government control and are able to hold the government and others to account for their actions. The internet is freely available to all and citizens can access it and help create their own news and offer their opinions. In the UK the court system upholds the concept of freedom of the press. Although the media can be held to account by the law this is largely by individuals and groups who feel the media have libelled them (accused them of something they did not do). 2. For many years, especially in relation to political views, it was believed that newspapers had a great deal of influence. In 1992 and 1997 the Sun newspaper claimed that its influence had won the election firstly for the Conservatives and then for the Labour Party. It is still claimed today that Prime Ministers are always attempting to ensure they get a good write-up in the Daily Mail. But in recent elections and referendums it has been the power of social media that appears to have been more influence. Increasingly people are not buying newspapers and are consuming their news online from a variety of sources. So, with decreasing readership the influence of newspapers is declining. Also, when a person purchases a newspaper, they tend to buy one that supports their own views so the newspaper is re-enforcing their opinion rather than changing or influencing it. Television is still an important transmitter of news and by law public service broadcasters such as the BBC have to be fair and impartial while newspapers do not, so TV provides a balance to the views of newspapers. The rapid growth of the internet and social media means that people can freely access a range of views and opinion and easily join in debates and discussions. The term citizen journalist has developed from the Syrian civil war where ordinary citizens are reporting on the conflict by word and video as the war take place, leaving people to make up their own mind up about what they are hearing and seeing, rather than relying upon journalists and editors deciding what they read. The recent vote for Brexit may be seen as the last great push by many newspapers who supported Brexit to have an impact upon public opinion. But the case can be made that this was an influence that took many years to develop with some newspapers being constantly negative about the European Union, and the older age range of people (who largely voted for Brexit) were also the people most likely to read newspapers. 3. The concept of a free press is seen as an important aspect of democratic life in the UK. The press are subject to the law as everyone else but outside wartime are free to print/broadcast what they wish within reason. The rise of the internet, which is a global platform where ordinary citizens can create and comment on news, has presented new issues for governments and law-makers. Once politicians start to interfere with a free press, where does it stop? At the moment television is regulated through Ofcom and advertising is regulated through the ASA. Individuals and groups can complaint to either IPSO or IMPRESS about newspaper reporting. IPSO is the body set up by the newspaper industry to which most major newspapers belong; IMPRESS is the government supported new regulator to which many magazines and smaller local and regional papers belong. Clearly the rich and powerful in society can hold newspapers to account for their actions but ordinary people can afford the same access to the law. The scandal over phone hacking and other cases of press intrusion led to the Leveson Inquiry, which showed the extent to which some in the press abused their positon. The inquiry called for a new press regulator to be established. Many newspapers did not agree with the government positon hence now the existence of two regulators, one industry based, the other government supported. Politicians have a far more difficult problem when dealing with the internet as many of the platforms state that they are not traditional publishers, just providers of a platform for others to use. Also, many of these platforms


are not owned by UK-based companies. All the UK and other governments can do is try to seek formal agreements with these companies to exercise some control over the content on their platforms. The role of the government is to protect all citizens especially those unable to defend themselves against powerful bodies such as the media. This issue is the balance between regulation and support for those who feel aggrieved as against what could appear as state control and censorship. Page 95 1. The European Union could impose direct sanctions on Russia, Russian businesses and individual Russians. It could block economic transaction between the EU and Russia. The EU as a bloc could also apply pressure within NATO and the United Nations for both of those bodies to take action. 2. The phrase ‘hard or soft Brexit’ refers to the possible arrangements the UK may have with the European Union after it leaves in March 2019. The word Brexit means British Exit from the EU. In a referendum in 2016 almost 52 per cent of those who voted wanted to leave the EU. The phrase relates to the two extreme positons that could be the outcome of the negotiations with the EU regarding the UK leaving arrangements and future trading arrangements with the EU. A soft Brexit implies a very close relationship to the EU, trying to remain a member of the customs union and the single market, and contributing to the funds of the EU, but having no vote in any decision making. This type of agreement would maintain continuity of trade with EU and would mean there wouldn’t have to be a hard border between the two parts of Ireland. A hard Brexit implies there is no agreement with the EU and that the UK does not remain within the customs union or the single market. The UK would trade with the EU on World Trade Organisation rules as we do with many other countries. We would not have the same trading arrangements that the EU has with other countries as we would not be a member of the EU customs union. The UK would be free to agree trade arrangements with any other country in the world and could set its own regulations about its goods and goods coming into the UK. There would have to be arrangements regarding border arrangements between the two parts of Ireland. 3. The 0.7 per cent of GDP is an aim of the United Nations for all its members to make regarding overseas aid. Currently the UK is one of a few countries in the world that meets that target. This money is given in direct aid, or through NGOs for long term projects and is also available for crisis management situations such as after flooding or any other natural disaster. The aim of overseas aid is to lift those countries with high levels of poverty out of poverty to improve their health and education provision and improve human rights. The coalition government of 2010–15 made the 0.7 per cent aid commitment a legal requirement so to change this figure a new law would have to be passed. Since 2010 the government has attempted to cut public spending in the UK to help cut the deficit and improve public finances. Many of these cuts have fallen upon local councils who have had to cut many local services. So, every time issues arise about education cuts, house building or police cuts many politicians say we are wasting money on overseas aid and that money should be spent on public services in the UK. Many criticise how overseas aid is spent and the subsequent abuse of the system. Others state that many countries no longer need aid as they are developing and expanding their economies. Other argue that it is a moral duty of rich countries to help those in need and that the £12bn annual aid budget would not solve the problems of declining public services in the UK. A clear case can be made for both points of view but it is not an either/or position in terms of government spending. The government decides its annual spending and could if it wanted raise taxes or debt and keep both sides of this divide happy. Paper 2 Section B: Rights and responsibilities Page 101 1. In the United Kingdom the justice system is based upon the presumption of innocence. It is the function of the state to prove it has sufficient evidence to bring a case against someone and then in court it must prove beyond reasonable doubt that the person charged committed the offence. Those charged have the right to silence and do not have to make statements or give evidence on their own behalf. A judge will inform a jury that no inference can be drawn from the silence of the accused, it is up to the state to prove guilt. 2. Within every society, citizens expect that they have certain rights, e.g. to vote, but society in return has expectations of its citizens, which are called responsibilities, e.g. to obey the law, pay your taxes.


While many campaigns over the years have been about extending human rights in the UK, be they political, legal or civil rights, it is more than likely that it is government that imposes new responsibilities upon its citizens. For example, voting in elections can be seen as both a right and a responsibility. Many have campaigned over the years to extend who can vote. Currently some people are campaigning to enable 16-year-olds to be able to vote. Equally society sees voting as a citizen’s responsibility; if no one or very few voted it would undermine the core principle of democracy, government by the people or their elected representatives. Society can only hold together if there is a balance between a citizen’s rights and responsibilities. If there are only rights, the ‘ownership’ of democracy or the judicial system would belong to others. The responsibility of jury service or volunteering to be a magistrate is key to the public having faith in the judicial system. If there were only responsibilities citizens would feel oppressed and have no ability to bring about change. 3. Currently it is normal for the press to report upon court and tribunal cases but with some limitation such as not being able to name young people involved. The media can only report what is stated in court and are not allowed to provide a commentary until after the verdict has been announced, so as not to influence public opinion or any jury member. Judges can decide to restrict some court hearings and not allow the press to report on the evidence. Through these rulings judges are able to protect individuals. Individuals involved in cases can request that the judge makes a ruling about the media. Currently the media can name the court where the hearing is taking place, name the judge, give summary of the charges and give details of the accused and the lawyers involved. The case for full coverage of all courts is that these are legal hearings and the public have the right to know, who and what is involved in the case. The counter-argument is that in cases of child abuse or protection or rape cases the full identification of those involved can be harmful especially if those accused are found to be innocent by a jury. Should the media be able to report fully all civil cases which are disputes between individuals; should every divorce case be open to public scrutiny? The question posed goes to the core of freedom of the press and the rights of the individual in society. Currently the right to know is available within limitation to the media and in a democratic society they have the right to appeal any decision made by a court regarding any individual limitations. Page 112 1. In England a child cannot be charged with a criminal offence until the age of 10. Any young person charged with an offence has the right to legal representation. A case involving a young person would be held in a Juvenile Court not a Magistrates Court and the case would not be referred to a Crown Court for a case of criminal damage. 2. For: As more and more violent crimes are reported by the media, there is often a call to arm the police so that they are able to defend themselves and the public more readily. The belief is that armed police could deter criminals from carrying weapons. In many other countries the police are armed at all times. Clearly if the police come upon someone threatening to use a weapon the person may stop if they know the police are armed, or if they don’t stop, the police may be forced to shoot them. The police being armed provides them and the public with a degree of certainty of action if threatened with violence. The current practice of having only some armed police on patrol or available can be an issue due to difference in the response time to an incident. If criminals were aware that if the police are armed that in any confrontation they are liable to be injured or killed if they do not surrender and therefore avoid carrying weapons. Against: In the UK there is very strong gun control so obtaining weapons is very difficult. The increase in violent crime in recent years has involved young people and the use of knives. If the police are all armed, more criminals will get guns to counter the police weapons. In relation to knife crime, police officers can wear stab vests to prevent them being hurt if involved with someone with a knife. What happens when mistakes are made especially if they are fatal? Do police hesitate before using a gun in case they make a mistake and does any delay in fact place them in danger? The current arrangement of armed police on patrol and available is the best solution as they are trained marksmen and often their appearance acts to deter violence.


3. In the United Kingdom a key principle of government is the separation of powers between those who make the laws and those who enforce the law. It is the work of Parliament to approve laws, the government to draft them and the courts to enforce them. This is a principle that has developed over centuries. The independence of the judiciary is a key principle of our unwritten constitution. In the past when monarchs made the law and appointed judges, cases brought before the courts always went in favour of the views of the monarch. By having lifetime appointments to the judiciary, the UK ensures that judges are free from political influence. In recent years the appointment system for judges has been based upon open advertisements so that a wider section of legal professional can apply. Currently judges in the UK are non-political and therefore above party political debates. If they were party appointments or elected wearing political labels would people want to have a judge that suited their own political label. When parties became stronger or weaker judges would have to resign, and what would happen if a judge changed their political opinions? The House of Lords used to be the highest court in the land until the Supreme Court was established so that there was a clear separation of powers. If public confidence is to be kept in the judiciary, the UK system of open appointments, lifetime security and political neutrality needs to be maintained. Page 124 1. A Magistrates’ Court and a Juvenile Court bench are both made up of three magistrates but those in a Juvenile Court deal only with cases involving young people. The public are not allowed to attend hearings and parents are expected to attend alongside their child. The layout of the court and the proceedings are far less formal than those in a Magistrates’ Court. 2. In the UK there is an issue with re-offending: this involves criminals who have served a sentence but within a short period of time re-offend and find themselves before a court again. Many people and organisations say that more effort and resources should be put into rehabilitation both within prison and on release. The prison population has risen in recent years and the prison service says that this stops them being able to provide more support for prisoners. Also, a large number of re-offenders are those released after a short sentence of 1–2 years where they have actually served less than that. Many in society argue that money shouldn’t be wasted on those in prison, but the cost to society of taking cases to court, often involving minor crimes, is very high. If offenders are not sent to prison, the courts are accused of being soft on people who commit a large number of minor crimes. The only way to break this cycle is to stop these people re-offending. Often these people have health issues, such as drug addiction or mental health problems, and have a poor educational background, so the world of employment is not easily open to them. An economic case could be made that helping these people through housing, health provision, education and retraining is cheaper than constantly sending them back to prison. 3. Trade unions play an important role in UK society. They represent various groups of workers, defending their employment rights, negotiating wage agreements, and applying pressure to governments regarding employment rights and other issues. Many unions are very large representing millions of workers, such as Unite, Unison and the GMB. To ensure that laws were passed that supported workers’ rights the trade unions established the Labour Party, over 100 years ago, now one of the two major political parties in the UK. As unions became larger and gained in power and influence, governments passed laws both to protect their role and to hold them accountable for their actions. For example, laws protect unions from being sued for losses by employers as a result of strikes. The government has also passed laws about how strikes can be called e.g. that members must vote on industrial action and only if it is supported can members take action. In some workplaces, for example the police, the government has forbidden industrial action. The government argued that it acts on behalf of the public and acted to make unions more open and democratic about the way they work and operate. In the same ways that the government passes laws about the way companies operate to protect workers, customers and investors, it passes laws regarding trade unions to ensure that they work within a framework that has public support, not giving them too much power and not curtailing their power to act on behalf of their members.


Page 128 1. International humanitarian law is designed to provide protection for those living in a war zone who are not taking part in the fighting. It also tries to stop either side in the fighting using non-combatants as a means of helping them win the conflict. The law lays done how children, the wounded, and civilians must be treated, and states that those who break these agreements will be brought to justice after the fighting is over. After the civil wars in the Balkans, the International Criminal Court in The Hague tried both military and political leaders regarding their treatment of the civilian population. 2. The United Nations Declaration of Human Rights was drafted by the winning powers at the end of the Second World War and reflects the values of that period. Since then, across the globe, issues have arisen regarding human rights that were not considered by the UNDHR. Family life has changed, the nature of relationship between the sexes has changed. Concerns about religious freedom and tolerance have become more important. Access to new forms of media, especially the internet, has given rise to new issues. People across the world are now very concerned about environmental issues that affect human existence. All of these elements need to be fully reflected in a revised Declaration. There are many core values expressed within the Declaration that are still vital to human rights today. But we need additional articles that can reflect how life and rights have developed over the last 70 years. 3. The European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) was agreed in 1950 and the UK was one of the first to sign up to the Convention. It was not adopted into UK law until 2000 through the Human Rights Act. Until that time, you had to exhaust all UK legal routes before you could take a case to the European Human Rights Court in Strasbourg. The Convention in many ways follows the structure of the UNDHR. As the ECHR is a living document it is constantly subject to case law judgements made by the court in its rulings. For example, corporal punishment in the UK was abolished following a court case in Strasbourg brought by a UK citizen. The court is made up of judges from all the member countries of the Council of Europe. The Conservative Party has in the past suggested that the UK withdraws from the Convention and the European Court system. They have argued that the UK needs its own new Bill of Rights, which is subject only to UK courts and which would include most of the articles of the existing Convention. The UK has always opted out of some of the ECHR articles. The Conservatives would seek to clarify the balance between a citizen’s rights and responsibilities. They believe that UK courts would not end up rewriting UK laws. Also that there would be no human rights creep due to judges making case law as they see fit. Also, they believe that the quality of judgments would be better as case law would be made by full-time, qualified UK judges. The overall argument made is clearly one relating to control. If human rights are determined and judgements made in the UK it can be argued that as a democratic country it is the citizens of the UK that will determine the extent or not of human rights in the UK.

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